Caged
by Rayvah
Summary: Adventurous 7 year old, Belle French makes the acquaintance of a very interesting monster at the circus.
1. Chapter 1

**Started with the prompt "Would you love a monsterman? Could you understand the beauty of the beast?" from ripperblackstaff**

**I don't own OUAT**

* * *

Belle wandered down the dirt path, gawking slightly at the brightly colored tents and lights that towered above her. Men with with white faces played at charades with each other, and other men in hats called out to passersby to come and try their game - everyone who plays is a winner!

The circus was in town.

Her mother had told her to stay close, and not wander off - but at this point it was said in an almost resigned way. Belle always wandered off. And the circus was in town. There was only so far Belle could wander - as long as she didn't leave the grounds her parents would find her, eventually.

She took another turn, this road taking her further away from the games and into the area of attractions. She had only just started school, but her mother had been working with her at reading for awhile now. "In case you get lost, you should know where you are." she'd said in that resigned way of hers. Belle squinted at the signs. _The Bearded Lady. World's Smallest Horse! The Human Spider._ And then:

**SEE THE MONSTER MAN! **

Belle made her way towards that tent, and wordlessly fished out one of the dollars her mother gave her - giving it to the bored looking attendant. He waved her inside.

She was alone. The room was dark and no one else was in this particular tent at the moment - no one besides the Monster Man. Belle shivered, and made her way towards the cage that took up one side of the room. There were bales of hay set up with the obvious intention of keeping people from approaching the cage, but they were not difficult to get around, even for a seven year old. She grabbed onto the bars of the cage, pressing her face up against them, trying to peer into the darkness.

"Boo!" A figure suddenly landed directly in front of her, as though he fell from the ceiling. Belle screamed and fell back over one of the bales of hay. She heard laughing as she tried to right herself. She was panicked, and made for the exit - but halfway there remembered that the man who scared her was in a cage, and she was not. Turning around, she stomped over to the bars where the figure was huddled, no longer laughing.

"That wasn't very nice!" she huffed, her hands on her hips as she'd often seen her mother do when 'fussing'.

"Not nice? Did you miss the sign, dearie? I believe it says 'Monster' on it." The voice was mocking, but Belle still couldn't make out his face. Intrigued, she stepped closer.

"Are you really a monster?"

"Come a little closer and find out." it purred.

"Hmm." Belle considered. "I want to see you. I can't see you if hide in the dark… even if I did come over there."

"And why should I come out, little darling? What would you give me if I did?"

She tapped her foot. "I already paid a dollar - and the sign says "See The Monster Man" - well, I can't see you."

"Hmm." she saw the shadow tilt it's head, as if considering "True. The thing is - I didn't make that sign. You think I'd play by the rules of my captors? If you want to see me, you'll have to give me something else."

Belle looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the places where the bars met ceiling and floor. "Your captors? You don't want to be in there?"

"Who wants to be in a cage?"

She considered this, and nodded sagely. She could share the feeling of not wanting to be trapped. "I understand."

"_Do you_?" he asked

"Yes", she moved around to the front of the hay, closer to the cage, and sat down on the bale. "Mom always tells me 'don't wander off', 'stay inside'. It's very annoying - but she says at my age I'm not allowed to just explore."

"How old are you?"

"Seven." She stopped, and ventured "Nearly eight."

"Oh, _nearly_ eight." She could practically hear him sneering.

"How old are _you_?" she demanded, feeling slightly offended at his tone.

"I am three hundred and twenty four."

"And you're the one that got caught and locked up." she couldn't help but point out. She didn't believe that he was three hundred. She'd never met anyone that old. Yet - she'd never met a monster. "How did they catch you?"

"With magic."

"And you can't get out with magic?"

"Oh, not with my kind of magic." he stated, his tone morose.

"What kind of magic is that?" she asked, curious, her head tilted.

"The worst kind." His tone was theatrically menacing, but Belle could sense a self-depreciating amusement running through it. That decided her. She stood.

"I want to see you." She stated.

"Like I said, it's going to cost you."

She began to search through her pockets. She had another three dollars - she took them out and held them in eyesight.

"No." he said.

"It's all I have." she protested.

"And what exactly am I going to buy in here?" he gestured to the interior of his cage.

Belle gave a frustrated sigh, and continued to rummage. Her hands brushed against well remembered things she'd picked up during her explorations.

"A piece of grape bubblegum?"

"No."

"A shiny rock I found by the river."

"Ah, no."

"But it's pretty."

"Next."

"I dug up a really old penny."

"I'm older than that is."

She was beginning to get desperate. If she'd known this morning she was going to be facing such a strange and demanding creature she would have packed accordingly. Belle stilled as she felt the hard stone of the necklace her mother had given her for her birthday. She refused to wear it - certain she would lose it in her explorations, but it was always with her.

"Yes! That!" He stood up slightly, peering at her as though he knew what she had. "Whatever it is you've got now - I'll take that."

Breathing harshly, Belle drew the necklace from her pocket, and the bright stone caught the light. It was the prettiest thing she owned. The strange man moved closer to the bars.

"Give that here, and I'll let you see me."

"My mother gave this to me when I turned seven." she bit her lip. It was the first delicate and lovely thing her mother had given her. She'd promised to take care of it.

"And? You're _nearly_ eight. Ask for another."

Belle considered the man in front of her - and the cage he was in. She decided then and there that he needed a delicate and lovely thing more than she did.

"Ok." stepping forward, Belle waited. The man stretched his arm through the bars, into the light that streamed in through the parts in the ceiling. He opened his hand, and it glinted.

"You're made of gold!" Belle gasped, delighted. The creature harrumphed.

"Just flesh and blood, dearie. The necklace, if you please." Belle dropped her necklace into the outstretched hand, which quickly withdrew back into the shadows. She could see him playing with the chain, examining his new acquisition.

"Very well," he said with finality "a deal is a deal - over there." he pointed, indicating a place in the cage where the light fell. Belle walked towards it and his form shadowed her. She then turned, and waited.

First his boot came into view, black dusty leather - stained from the dirt of the floor he was in, pants that matched, then - a vest that seemed to be made of crocodile skin. And finally… Belle could see his face.

"Oh! You _are_ made of gold!" she cooed, studying his dappled appearance.

"I told you, girl - just flesh and blood."

"Can I touch you?" she reached a hand towards the cage, almost involuntarily.

"Certainly not. That was not part of our deal." But he knelt down anyways, putting himself on eye level with her, if not within reach. She looked her fill. His eyes were large, and she could see they were also a gold-green that nearly matched his skin tone. His hair was brown, and curly, long enough to brush the top of his crocodile skin vest.

"You're…" Belle paused to think of the right word. "You're… _beautiful_."

He seemed startled by her assessment, and to her disappointment withdrew once again into the shadows.

"And you're foolish to think such a thing of a monster." his voice echoed from a bit further in the cell now.

"You're not a monster." she protested, wishing he wouldn't hide.

"No?"

"No." she stated, adamant. "And you shouldn't be locked up."

"There are obviously those that believe otherwise."

She ignored him. "Maybe I could help you escape?"

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend that, dearie. I bite." he snarled from the corner of his cage, as far from Belle as he could get.

She frowned, but felt a certain determination flood her. "I'm coming back again tomorrow with something else, and you're going to let me touch you."

He chuckled. "Oh no - I expect I'll never see you again."

Instead of arguing, Belle turned on her heel and marched out. She would prove him wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**Started as a prompt. "Would you love a monsterman ? Could you understand the beauty of the beast ?"**

**These are lyrics from a song by Lordi.**

**Number of ABC Fantasy Television Shows I own the rights to: 0**

* * *

It was later in the day than Belle would have liked as she arrived at the open field where the circus was set up - but it had been a couple miles she'd walked to get here. Her mom wouldn't bring her again - had said that one trip to the circus was enough. Nothing could persuade her. Not even Belle's promise to not complain about cleaning her room for a year. So Belle ran away.

She had to.

She'd made a promise to the Golden Man. (She didn't know his name, and refused to call him Monster, even in her head.) Sure, he hadn't believed her when she said she'd come back - but that just made her want to keep her promise even more.

Belle snuck into the park, near a place where the trailers for the circus performers met the woods. She was used to sneaking around, and small enough that no one noticed. She would have paid to get in if she could. Clearing the trailers there was no longer a need to hide as she joined the main crowd of attendees.

Remembering her path from the day before, it only took Belle a few minutes to locate the tent. She looked up.

SEE THE MONSTER MAN!

The lettering was harsh, in bright red, with the words "Monster" looking as though they were dripping with blood. It should have been gold lettering - maybe with a more flourished style. It didn't fit him at all.

She took one of her remaining dollars and handed it to the same attendant from yesterday, who no longer looked bored. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement as he accepted her payment.

"Back again, eh?"

She nodded silently, not sure what else to say.

"Well, be careful with that one - he might not seem so, but he's very dangerous. Don't go near the bars."

"I'll be careful, Sir." Belle widened her eyes a bit, trying to put on her best unassuming face.

He eyed her skeptically. "See that you are." He snapped the dollar between his hands before putting it carefully away and waving her inside.

It was slightly darker in the tent than yesterday, given the hour. It hadn't quite started to grow dark outside, but would begin to soon.

"Hello?" she whispered into the shadows as she approached the cage. She kept her voice low, aware of the attendant (guard?) just outside.

"Well, well." a voice drifted out of the dark. "So you did return." he sounded genuinely surprised.

"I said I would." She tossed her hair, as though this was something she did every day.

He moved towards the bars, wrapping his hands around them. "Why did you come back?"

"I wanted to talk to you again." she confessed. "And, you said if I brought you something to trade - you'd let me touch you."

"_I_ didn't say that, little one. _You did_."

Belle brew a breath out, causing the hair near her face to float briefly. "Don't you at least want to see what I have?"

He remained still, saying nothing. Belle reached into her pockets. She'd spent all last night raiding her collections, trying to find the best things. Yet - he'd already taken her most precious possession yesterday, and Belle could find nothing to match it. Maybe if she put on a brave face, he would believe these things were important.

"I was in the woods one day, and found a stone that had the shape of a fish on it." she pulled the stone out, her mom had told her it was a fossil. "It's…millions of years old. Way older than you."

"All rocks are millions of years old, dearie."

"This one has the shape of an ancient creature, though." she knew there was a slight whine to her voice.

"….pass."

She screwed up her courage, and forced a smile. "Ok, then - how about this flower?" she pulled a cloth out, unfolding it to reveal a pressed blue violet. It was a unique color, and once it began to wilt Belle had kept it instead of leaving it to rot on the forest floor.

He tilted his head slightly, as though considering.

"No."

"A candy bar?" she knew she sounded pleading.

"No."

"No?"

"No, _Thank you_." his voice was once again mocking. He seemed to do that a lot. "Don't you have anything you truly treasure?"

"The most important thing I have you took yesterday." she said, frowning. He was silent a few moments.

"There is something you can give me. A very important thing. Something that would signify everything about you."

"What?" she asked, excited "Name it."

He giggled, his voice high pitched. "Spot on, little one. Your name. I want your name."

She furrowed her brow, confused. "It's Belle. Belle Marie French."

"Belle." he said her name slowly. "A _beautiful_ name."

Belle found she was blushing, despite herself. Her mom had told her what her name meant, but she was a 'tom boy' - she tromped around in the forest and always came home covered in dirt. Nobody ever said anything about her was beautiful. Nobody except her parents. And everyone knew that didn't count.

"It's just a name. I would have told you if you'd _asked_."

"Oh, but this is so much better, you see?"

"I don't see." She still didn't know his name.

"We've made a deal. You gave me your name in trade, and that gives it power. Magic."

"You can use your magic in there?"

"No, but these are only temporary accommodations" He said, his hand gesturing.

"So, you have a plan to get out?" She crept closer to the cage.

"I'm working on it." His tone was unhappy.

"What's your name?"

"You don't have anything else to give me for that information, _Belle_." He emphasized her name, highlighting the fact that he now possessed something she didn't.

Belle frowned. "You're not very good at having friends, are you? You can't just always demand things in return all the time. Especially names."

"Oh?" He asked, sounding interested. "We must not be friends, then. I don't recall that you've parted with anything for free just yet, either."

She moved a bit closer, now at the line of hay bales. She perched on the edge of one. She chewed on her bottom lip, considering.

"If you won't give me your name, then… I'll just call you Mr Gold." she nodded more to herself than him. It was a good name.

"I've certainly been called worse."

" …" she began, and stood.

"Monster!" A harsh female voice sounded from behind her, and Belle jumped, turning around. A woman with short black hair, dressed in a short, dark dress with severe red lipstick strode in. Belle took a step away from her, towards the cage, but the woman's eyes landed on her. Belle tried to hold her gaze and not flinch.

"Well, hello little girl." The woman bend over slightly, and smiled at her. It made Belle's skin crawl.

"Hello."

"Are you enjoying the circus?" She tilted her head.

Belle glanced over at . He remained unmoving, sitting close to the bars as he was before. She looked back at the woman.

"Yes."

The woman followed her glance over to the man in the cage. "Oh, don't let him scare you. He is a dangerous monster, but we have him locked up nice and tight." She might have been imagineing it, but Belle could almost feel loathing roll off Mr. Gold behind her for the woman.

"Still" she continued "It's dangerous to talk to him. He's a sneaky monster." she cocked her head slightly. "You didn't tell him anything about yourself or give him anything, did you?"

Belle shook her head. "No, ma'am."

The woman smiled. "Good. Are your parents around?" she looked around the room, as though they were hiding in the corner.

"They let me come to the circus on my own."

"Well - it's actually against the rules for children to be here unaccompanied." Belle didn't remember reading any signs that said that. "Come with me, and we'll get you home safely." She held out her hand towards her.

Belle eyed the offered hand, and glanced back up at her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Oh, she's the steward here." Mr. Gold's voice piped up for the first time since the woman entered the room.

The woman sent him an annoyed glance. "I am owner and manager of this circus."

"Owner is it? And why don't you tell us how you went about obtaining it Re-gin-a?" he was being more scathing now than at any time Belle had heard him.

"I don't need to engage in conversation with our _attractions_." she sneered, lifting her head slightly. She was quite literally looking down her nose at Mr. Gold.

"And yet here you are." He sounded delighted. "Tell me Regina, did your guard dog outside alert you to the fact I had a visitor?"

"He told me he saw an unaccompanied child, yes." No one had reported anything yesterday.

"She doesn't like it when I have repeat customers." he said, directing his response towards Belle. "Suspects I might use them to plan an escape. She'd close this tent, but it amuses her too much to know that I'm now just an _attraction_." He giggled.

"Come along, girl." the woman named Regina said again, ignoring Mr. Gold's comment, but clearly irritated. She held out her hand again, and Belle couldn't think of a way to refuse taking it. She slipped her own hand inside.

Walking out with Regina, Belle took one last look towards Mr. Gold as he watched them leave. She would come back, no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own OUAT.**

* * *

They were in the woman's office, and Belle swung her legs back and forth. Regina and her mother were talking.

"I am so sorry about this ma'am. She does this all the time - wandering off. I try to discourage her, but she's very strong willed."

"Sometimes we have to do things for our children's best interest that they may not necessarily like."

Belle resisted the urge to make a face at the woman. She would have if their backs had been turned. Instead, she let her eyes wander the room.

"You have children of your own?"

"…No. But I run a circus - children are a large part of the business."

"Yes, of course."

The room was almost completely black and white. And very clean and office-like for a trailer. The only spot of color came from a large bushy plant in glass at the far side of the room. Not local - Belle thinks she would have recognized it - but with a traveling circus, why would it be?

"Really, thank you for calling me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No thanks is necessary. If you'd just give me your name?"

Belle's head swung back towards the two women. Regina was sitting behind the desk, her expression cordial, her mom stood on the other side of the desk facing her, looking as harried as a mother might who'd been called to come pick up their runaway daughter.

"Mom…" she started, hesitantly.

"Georgette French." her mom said, smiling.

"Well, Mrs. French - It was my pleasure, but I don't think I have to tell you that if this happens again, I'll have to call the police." she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh - oh God no. It definitely won't happen again." Her mom looked a bit shaken, and Belle felt a little of the same loathing she was sure Mr. Gold had for the woman. Her mom reached out a hand and grabbed Belle, urging her out of the chair. "Again, I'm so sorry for this trouble."

"It's alright." She said, standing. "These things happen. I'm sure you'll keep a better eye on her in the future?"

"Of course." Belle looked up at her mom, and saw the slight tick at her jaw that she wore whenever the two of them argued. Inside, she was celebrating. Her mom didn't like this woman either. "Come on, Belle." they walked towards the doors.

"Good night, Mrs. French. Belle." Belle looked back as the door closed, and didn't think she imagined that the smile the woman wore was one of triumph.

* * *

Belle looked out the window as her mother drove her home, letting her gaze get lost in the quick passing of the treetops.

"Why do you always do this, Belle? I told you that you couldn't go to the circus - and so you snuck out. Why?"

Belle didn't say anything, slouching further in her seat.

Her mom sighed "It's not just that you disobeyed us. It's dangerous to just wander around on your own. Something bad could happen."

Turning her head, Belle looked over. "You never worried about me before."

"I always worry about you, kiddo." She reached a hand over, ruffling Belle's hair slightly. She glanced over to Belle, smiling, then back to the road.

"Why did you go back? Wasn't one day at the circus enough?"

"I promised someone I would come back."

"Who?"

Belle didn't say anything.

"One of your friends?"

Crossing her arms, Belle chewed at her lip. "….No. Just one of the people in the monster cages. He was all locked up, I thought… maybe he was lonely."

"Oh, B." Her mom gave her a helpless glance. "Those aren't real monsters, it's just costumes and makeup. It's their job to be there. I'm sure whoever you saw is probably at home with his family, right now."

Turning her back away, Belle returned to studying the passing landscape. "Yeah."

She went upstairs to her room shortly after coming home. Her mom confirmed solemnly that yes, she was indeed grounded forever.

Flinging herself on the bed, Belle laid with her hands under her head, staring up at the ceiling.

Costumes? Makeup? Home with his family? That would make sense, but Belle didn't believe it.

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

The next day she was on her best (believable) behavior. She stayed inside - being grounded and all - and helped her mom wash dishes after the family had watched a movie together.

Today had been the last day the circus was in town. She had to go back tonight. It would be the last time.

Her mom had given her a wan smile after putting her to bed, ruffling her hair - and Belle knew it was a silent thank you for not being difficult about yesterday or having to stay home. An hour or so later, after her parents had gone to bed, Belle slipped back into her clothes and climbed out her window onto the roof.

"I'm sorry, mom." she whispered as she softly closed the pane behind her.

* * *

Belle wasn't certain what she would find at the circus grounds. Since it was now over she figured it was quite likely that it would be a scene of chaos - everyone breaking down rides, tents, moving cages - but it was completely silent, like an abandoned town. Maybe all the moving would occur tomorrow, and everyone was resting from the long week.

Since there wasn't anyone around, it probably wasn't necessary to sneak inside - but Belle tried to keep a low profile anyways. There was no room for mistakes tonight.

She saw Mr. Gold's tent in the distance. Nothing around it had moved, but somehow it now seemed to stand apart from the others surrounding it. She made her way over, then stopped suddenly as she saw the tent flap move. Quickly, she hid behind the edge of another structure, and watched as Regina and her guard emerged. They were talking - too far away for Belle to make out any of the conversation, but Regina nodded and smiled - and it was unsettling. The two of them turned away and began walking. Suddenly, Belle found she was faced with the decision to go into the tent - or follow them.

Her eyes flicked back and forth between the tent door and the retreating forms of Regina and her guard. She made her decision. Mr. Gold wasn't going anywhere.

She shadowed them as they traced the now familiar path to the trailer which served as Regina's office. The two of them stepped inside, and the door swung shut behind them - but not completely.

Looking around her to make sure there really were no others around (And there weren't - which seemed strange. Very strange.) Belle crept towards the slightly open door. She crouched beside the trailor stairs and looked up through the bottom of the gap.

"He's been becoming more defiant lately." the woman said, pacing in a small one foot area.

"It doesn't mean anything - he's just getting upset that there is nothing he can do to get out." the guard wasn't in Belle's field of vision, but from his voice he seemed to be a few feet from the door.

"Of course there isn't!" the woman snapped, pacing. "But if anyone could figure out a way, it would be him."

"You've had him in that cage for fifty years. If there was a way out he'd of found it by now." the guard walked closer, and Belle could finally see him as he laid his hand on Regina's arm. "We'll be gone by tomorrow, anyways."

The woman visibly relaxed. "You're right of course, Graham. You always are." She laid a hand against his cheek momentarily, then turned away towards the viney green plant that accented the room. She ran a finger down the edge of the glass, somehow opening a concealed door Belle hadn't noticed. She reached inside, and plucked something from it. Belle couldn't see what it was, but a moment later she was holding up a large translucent bean-looking thing to the light.

"Can you imagine if we had to move this whole place by hand?" the man asked.

Regina smiled. "What a ridiculous thought." She walked towards the door, and Belle's eyes widened in panic, but she stopped just short, setting the bean on a table only a foot inside the trailer. She looked down at the bean in contemplation, crossing her arms.

"And what world should we go to this time?"

The man walked up behind her, putting his arms around her midsection. "Any world would be lucky to have you, Madam."

She smiled, and turned in his arms, her hands running up his back and then through his hair. Belle's eyes turned towards the bean laying on the table. There was no way she could get it without being seen - but maybe _maybe_ she could grab it without getting caught. While they were distracted.

As silently as possible, Belle took the bottom of the door with both hands and pulled it open. She climbed the stairs. The top one squeaked slightly at her ascent.

The man opened his eyes just as Belle closed her fist around the bean and ran.

"Hey!" He called out.

"Stop her!" Belle heard the woman yell.

She ran as fast as she could, but had practically no head start at all. Luckily, she was small enough to fit through small gaps in obstacles that Graham had to circumvent - but once they hit open ground, she lost her advantage. His legs were much longer, and he was gaining on her. She could see her destination in the distance. She could make it. She knew she could make it.

Pumping her legs until she felt her lungs would burst, Belle ran towards the tent. The sign '_SEE THE MONSTER MAN!'_ grew larger in her field of vision. The guard was only a few feet behind her.

She pushed the tent flap aside and burst into the small space on the inside.

"MR GOLD!" she screamed. A slight figure in the corner stood suddenly, approaching the bars. The man burst through the tent door behind her, and she was captured. Almost. He didn't have her completely, and Belle used her free arm to fling the bean towards the cage. Her throw was haphazard. The bean sailed through the air towards the bars.

_Don't bounce off. Don't bounce off. Don't…_

It flew cleanly through two of the bars and landed neatly in the outstretched golden hand of the man within. He was still, staring at the small item in his palm for a few moments.

"What a wonderful gift, dearie. And to think I didn't get you anything." He murmured.

"I guess that makes us friends, then." Belle whispered, out of breath from her run. She could hear her heartbeat loudly in her ears.

"I suppose it does." he replied quietly.

The guard wrenched Belle's hands behind her back, and she whimpered. Mr. Gold just stared at the them, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Regina walked in, finally, her pursuit having been significantly slowed by the heels she wore.

"She threw it to him." the guard said, also slightly out of breath.

The woman narrowed her eyes, marching to the cage. "Let go of that bean, Monster." she demanded.

He looked back down at his open palm, and back up to her. "Of course." he replied, then casually tossed the bean a few feet away from himself, inside the cage.

A swirling green vortex opened in front of them behind the bars. It's edges crept past the barriers and the man holding Belle let go in order to pull Regina away from it's reach. Belle stumbled back, towards the entrance of the tent.

"I'm afraid our time together has come to an end, Regina." Mr. Gold said, baring his teeth.

"Like Hell." she growled, struggling against Graham's hold on her.

"Goodbye." He said. He then looked towards Belle - and then he disappeared. The portal closed behind him. Regina was screaming and Graham was trying to calm her. Belle couldn't think properly about what she just saw, but knew it was a bad idea to be where she was. Stumbling out the door, unnoticed, she made her way back into the forest.

* * *

At first Belle walked blindly, just aware that she had to get away from the circus grounds - only when it started to rain did she realize she needed to get home, and quickly. Belle wandered the forest a lot, and was able to get her bearings without much trouble. Soon, though, it wasn't only raining - it was _raining_. As hard as she could ever remember seeing.

"Ow!" she felt something hard land on her head. She put a hand against her forehead, then looked to the ground. Large pieces of hail were beginning to fall. In the middle of summer? Looking around, she located the log of a large fallen tree and wedged herself under it to wait out the storm. The wind picked up, also, until Belle couldn't even hear the sound of her own voice screaming.

The storm showed no signs of dying down, and eventually Belle had to forsake her hiding spot for the more pressing need to get home. She was already soaked, anyways.

Finally, she found herself on her own doorstep, shivering. A police car was parked outside in their driveway. Belle shivered again for an entirely different reason. Regina said she would send the police. The woman herself might be inside - but where else was Belle to go? She raised a hand and knocked as loudly as she could, which turned out to be quite feebly. She knocked again and the door swung open. A police officer stood there. Belle peered past him. There were several officers in their living room, and her father was sitting in the far chair, his head in his hands.

"Dad!" She pushed past the man who opened the door and went to her dad, the only familiar person in the room. He looked up, and she stopped. His eyes were haunted.

"Belle…" he said, his voice rough. He reached out, and pulled her into his arms.

"Dad - Where is mom?" her voice was muffled against his shoulder, and she turned her head to search the room.

"Belle, when the storm started, we woke up. George went to check on you. You weren't there, and she said she knew where you'd gone…" his arms tightened around her.

"Dad, where is mom?" her voice rose in pitch.

"There was an accident."

"No." Belle could feel tears begin to run down her cheeks.

"We don't know why, but she lost control of the car, and ran into a tree."

"No no no no no." Belle wailed. Maybe her mother was ok. Maybe she was at the hospital - but if that were true, why would her father be here, looking helpless? Looking hopeless?

"I'm sorry, baby." His arms around her were impossibly tight, and Belle cried.

It was still raining.


End file.
